Elijah Hughes is the USC Class of 2023’s sleeper.
The signing period was short lived with the Trojans signing 19 out of 20 commitments during the 2023 cycle. This makes them the No. 11 national class.
Elijah Hughes, a three-star Arlington (VA), defensive lineman, may be the most underrated USC Trojan recruit in the 2023 class.
The lineman announced his commitment to USC over Virginia Tech and Stanford last week. Hughes is expected to be an All Pac-12 player in the future. season for the Trojans.
Hughes was the defensive leader at Liberty HS in Arlington, VA with 113 tackles. He also had 13 sacks. The Trojans will need Hughes to play sooner rather than later with Stanley Ta’ufo’ou being the only experienced nose tackle/defensive tackle on their roster.
The 2023 Trojans class includes three interior defensive-line commits. Sam Greene (St. Frances Academy/Baltimore) is the third.), Deijon Laffitte (Colony HS/Ontario, Calif.), and Hughes.
I expect Hughes — currently at 6-foot-3, 265 pounds — to add on weight and play the 3-tech inside for the Trojans next season and beyond.
Recently, USC added Kyon Barrs, a defensive line transfer from Arizona to its roster. All-American Tuli Tuipulotu’s future is still up in the air, but he is expected to depart for the NFL.
Hughes displayed great versatility and was able to generate pass rush production from many positions and techniques in high school. Hughes’ tape reminds me heavily of former first-round pick and current New York Jet Solomon Thomas, formerly of Stanford.
Liste
Lincoln Riley and the USC 12 days of Christmas — 2022 version
